6 hours ago
Last Updated:July 01, 2025, 17:28 IST
Turkey Protests: Violent clashes erupted in Istanbul after police dispersed crowds protesting a cartoon by LeMan depicting Prophet Muhammad.
Turkey Protests: Istanbul saw violent clashes as police dispersed crowds protesting a cartoon by LeMan magazine.
Violent clashes broke out in Istanbul after police dispersed angry crowds protesting a cartoon published by the satirical magazine LeMan, which was accused of insulting religious values by depicting Prophet Muhammad. Police used teargas and rubber bullets to control the mob, as tensions escalated over the controversial cartoon.
The unrest followed an arrest order issued by Istanbul’s chief prosecutor against LeMan’s editorial staff, including its editor-in-chief and managing editor, on grounds of “publicly insulting religious values." The magazine’s cartoonist and graphic designer have already been taken into custody, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed on social media platform X.
“The person named DP who made this vile drawing has been caught and taken into custody," Ali Yerlikaya wrote, adding, “These shameless individuals will be held accountable before the law."
LeMan’s editor-in-chief, Tuncay Akgun, denied the accusations, saying the cartoon had been deliberately misinterpreted to incite outrage.
“This cartoon is not a caricature of Prophet Muhammad in any way," he told Agence France-Presse, explaining, “In this work, the name of a Muslim who was killed in the bombardments of Israel is fictionalised as Muhammad. More than 200 million people in the Islamic world are named Muhammad. [It] has nothing to do with Prophet Muhammad. We would never take such a risk."
Founded in 1991, LeMan is known for its sharp political satire and has often drawn criticism from conservatives. The magazine had previously expressed solidarity with France’s Charlie Hebdo after the 2015 terrorist attack on its Paris offices over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. In a series of posts on X, LeMan defended its cartoon and insisted it had been misread intentionally to trigger backlash.
“The cartoonist wanted to portray the righteousness of the oppressed Muslim people by depicting a Muslim killed by Israel; he never intended to belittle religious values," the magazine said, adding, “We do not accept the stigma imposed on us because there is no depiction of our prophet. It takes a very malicious person to interpret the cartoon in this way. We apologise to our well-intentioned readers who we think were subjected to provocations."
Turkey’s Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc confirmed that a legal investigation had been launched for insulting religious values.
“Disrespect towards our beliefs is never acceptable. No freedom grants the right to make the sacred values of a belief the subject of ugly humour. The caricature or any form of visual representation of our prophet not only harms our religious values but also damages societal peace," he said.
Istanbul Governor Davut Gul condemned the publication, asserting, “We will not remain silent in the face of any vile act targeting our nation’s faith."
Location :Turkey
First Published:News world Outrage In Turkey Over Prophet Muhammad Cartoon, Magazine Defends It: 'Nothing To Do With...'
